Witchcraft is one of the most fascinating and diverse facets of horror. Unlike other supernatural beings that have made it to the forefront of horror iconography, witches and their individual practices cross over into reality. The long history of witchcraft and the many different ways it is expressed and practiced would take volumes of books to explain, so I will keep it simple here. Witches and witchcraft have been portrayed in a myriad of ways since the beginning of horror cinema, from light and whimsical to pure evil. Good witches and bad witches. When I made my preliminary list for this post, I realized I had dozens of beloved movies to choose from. To keep things on-theme for the blog, I will focus on horror/spooky/horror-esque films where witchcraft acts as a vital component of the plot.
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#5: Hocus Pocus (1993)
There is no list of top witch movies without Hocus Pocus. Like many of us, I grew up watching this movie. It was a formative story that sparked my lifelong curiosity of witches and the paranormal.
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#4: Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
Just when I thought a campy 80s movie starring Elvira could not get more amazing, she discovers she has magic abilities. Elvira was never a woman someone could mess with. Leveling her up even more by having her descended from powerful witches just makes sense.
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Suspiria is a stunning giallo (a genre of Italian cinema that combines horror, mystery, and thriller elements) that remains one of the most unique approaches to the witch narrative. The witches are the antagonists in this film. Their presence lurks beneath the surface of every occurrence leading up to the climax, a very different feel than the others in this list.
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#2: Sleepy Hollow (1999)
This may not spring to everyone’s mind as a witch movie, but it does for me. The practice of witchcraft is represented through women of different generations, social classes, and intentions. Katrina Van Tassel in particular generates a layer of witchcraft to this adaptation which elevates the original story by Washington Irving. Sleepy Hollow explores witchcraft in several forms, including connection to nature, incantations, protection symbols, and necromancy.
A blog post for this one is coming soon.
#1: The Love Witch (2016)
The Love Witch became one of my favorite movies of all time from the first time I watched it years ago. It is a true work of art from a filmmaker (Anna Biller) who touched every aspect of the film and made it what she wanted it to be. The film follows Elaine, a young woman who devotes her life to witchcraft to reclaim the power life has taken from her. She practices love magic in a rigorous search of her one true love. In pursuit of her happily ever after, she leaves others maimed and broken along the way. The Love Witch is an intriguing feminist satire that also demonstrates how individuals who identify as witches use nature, intention, spells, community, and various tools and elements to achieve what they desire through witchcraft.
Read more here.
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Until next time,
Jordan
